“Cinema Kabuki: Japan 2012”

7 February 2012

Three works by Izumi Kyoka: TENSHU MONOGATARI, KAIJIN BESSO, and KOYAHIJIRI featuring Bando Tamasaburo
Available in theaters across Japan

Izumi Kyoka's fantastic world re-created on the Kabuki stage - three poetic stories are told by some of the current leading actors of Kabuki, a beautiful fusion between modern Japanese literature and the theatrical traits of Kabuki. Don't miss this opportunity to catch these rare productions on the big screen.

Please check the official website for screening theaters, performance schedule, and ticket purchase (in Japanese only):

This series is presented in its original language, Japanese, and no translation service or subtitles are available. English synopsis from the original English programs are available on this site to assist your Cinema Kabuki visit.

Tenshu Monogatari

January 21 (Sat), 2012 - already in theaters

A princess living in the heavenly realm, a love story that takes place once in a thousand years...
One of Izumi Kyoka's prominent plays, it is based on the mythological people who live in the upper most tower of Himeji Castle. Kyoka has taken this story and interwoven it with mysterious creatures, unfolding a love story between a beauty from the fantastic world and a human.

Kaijin Besso

Available in theaters from February 18 (Sat), 2012

A beautiful maiden sacrifice meets an innocent soul at the bottom of the ocean....
A love story between a prince of the Rokanden Palace, in the ocean, and a beautiful human woman. Like unravelling a picture scroll, the curtain opens to a beautiful palace scene, followed by a wedding procession scene of the Beauty led by Kuroshio (black current) Knights. The prince meets the Beauty, and passionately describes the magnificence and wonders of the world beneath the waves, but the Beauty hesitates to leave her former life. The characertistics of Kyoka's work can be found in the beautiful Japanese text. Also Bando Tamasaburo incorporated a western harp as a musical accompaniment to heighten the feeling of a fantastical atmosphere.

Koyahijiri

Available in theaters from March 17 (Sat), 2012
A story about a young priest who spends an evening at a mysterious woman's home in the deep mountains.

Koyahijiri is one of Izumi Kyoka's title works, and to stage this has been a long time dream for Bando Tamasaburo who had already worked on various other works by Kyoka. Along with Ishikawa Koshi, Bando Tamasaburo worked on the script and the staging, and the premiere took place at the Kabuki-za Theater in 2008. A story about the encounter between a young priest and a woman with two sides, a saint and the devil. A horror filled mystical world is depicted in this work.

This Cinema Kabuki version's Koyahijiri is not a recording of the live stage performance, but filmed on stage on a separate occasion. Cuts were added in a form similar to making a film. This Cinema Kabuki was directed by the director Sogawa Soukichi, who also directed Wagakokoro-no-Kabukiza (a documentary film of the current theater under construction) and edited by Bando Tamasaburo.